16 Eco-Friendly Products Every “Green” Home Office Should Have

Upgrading your home office to be a green home office doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing, wallet-emptying exercise. These 16 eco-friendly products can get you started. Save

Upgrading your home office to be a green home office doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing, wallet-emptying exercise. There are plenty of ways to go green as a remote worker and incremental steps can get you there.

The next time you need or want to buy something for your home office, stop and think. Are there any green or environmentally friendly options? We asked the FlexJobs Facebook community, FlexJobs’ LinkedIn Group, and the FlexJobs team to share all the ways they’ve gone green in their home offices. Combining their recommendations and additional research, we’ve created a list of 16 green products and items in eight categories for your home office.

16 Eco-Friendly Products Every “Green” Home Office Should Have

Metal Straws

If you love drinking out of a straw, but don’t like that one-use plastic versions are terrible for the environment, metal straws are just your thing!

Set of 8 Stainless Steel Straws ($8): Designed for use with 30-ounce tumbler style water bottles, these include four straight straws, four bent straws, and two straw cleaners. The 4.6-star rating and affordable price make these “Amazon’s Choice” for metal straws.

LED Light Bulbs and Lamps

No longer the harsh lights they used to be, LED light bulbs and lights have come a long way. They’re offered in many different shades, dimmable options, and levels of brightness.

GE LED Bulbs (2 pack) ($5): I have these LED bulbs throughout my entire house. They provide the true “soft white” light of traditional bulbs with a fraction of the energy use. They’re also well-rated on Amazon.

Bamboo Office Organizers

Not all home office items can be made from sustainable materials, but there are more options than ever before. Here are several office organizers made from bamboo, a sustainable material growing in popularity for everything from flooring to furniture to office supplies.

NNEWVANTE Bamboo Bed Tray/Foldable Desk Bed ($50):If you work primarily on your laptop, this adjustable-height tray works well on a desk, floor, kitchen table, or even from bed if you’re just not feeling up to walking all the way to your home office.

Reusable Water Bottles

This green home office item may change the way you drink water or other beverages for good. Most of the folks we heard from say that once they started using a reusable water bottle, they found themselves taking the bottle everywhere, and drinking more water as a result. Good for you and good for the environment!

1 Million for Work Flexibility Water Bottle ($25): Support the environment and a great organization at the same time! Our sister site, 1 Million for Work Flexibility, sells reusable water bottles to support efforts to extend work flexibility to all professionals.

Camelbak Chute Water Bottle ($12): Almost 3,000 reviewers and 4.3 stars can’t be wrong. This highly rated one-liter water bottle comes in seven colors with a leak-proof, easy-access cap.

Contigo Stainless Steel Water Bottle ($17): Would you rather have stainless steel than plastic? This Contigo bottle offers five color choices, a sleek design, and a spill-proof lid that seals in between sips.

Smart Outlets or Surge Protectors

If you’re like many of us and rushing about regularly, you may leave a room and forget to turn off the light or shut off other electronics you’re no longer using. These solutions can either make it easier to turn off all your home office in one click or will actually turn things off for you after you’ve left the room.

Samsung SmartThings Outlet ($44): This smart outlet lets you control electronics from your smartphone, restrict power to certain appliances, and receive alerts if electronics were left on.

Smart Plug 2-Pack Mini WiFi Smart Outlet ($28, plus 12% off coupon): This outlet gives you the option to control anything plugged into it through your smartphone or tablet, and they’re designed to easily stack on top of each other.

Smart Thermostats

If you’re the only one at home during the day, cranking the heat or the air conditioning to make your remote office comfortable can seem…wasteful. After all, you don’t need to change the temperature in the whole house if you’re spending most of your time in one room. These products are here to help:

Ecobee3 Thermostat with Sensor ($218): This smart thermostat can be connected to up to 32 sensors in your home, so it will always know which rooms need to be heated or cooled, and which are unoccupied. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa for voice control.

Nest Learning Thermostat ($228): Over 17,000 reviews on Amazon leave this smart thermostat with 4.5 stars. No programming required—the Nest learns from your habits to program itself, and you can control it from your smartphone.

Recycling Bins for Your Office

Almost everyone has a trash can in their home office, but what about a separate recycling bin? I added this to my office several years ago and it’s made a huge difference in how much I recycle. I’ll admit it—I used to be lazy enough that rather than bring a piece of paper to the recycling bin in the kitchen, I’d throw it into my office trash can (I know, for shame!). But not anymore. Here are some stylish choices:

simplehuman Recycler ($180): simplehuman has a reputation for creating stylish, high-functioning trash cans and related items. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line trash system for your home office, this is it.

Safco Desk-Side Waste Recycling Bin ($19): This combination trash and recycling bin can be used hooked together as one unit, or split in two, making it a versatile option for any home office space. And it offers a three-gallon or seven-gallon option.

Oscillating Fan

This item is especially helpful during the hotter months of the year when it can be tempting to crank up the AC. Opt for an oscillating fan instead (either a small, desk-size version and larger, whole-office fans) and you’ll lower the temperature of your skin, making it feel almost 10 degrees cooler, according to one fan manufacturer.

OPOLAR Mini USB Desktop Personal Fan ($15): This petite desktop fan is a stylish cooling option for any home office. Many of the 266 Amazon reviewers (giving it 4.3 stars) comment on how forcefully this fan can blow without being noisy.

Friendly disclaimer: FlexJobs has an affiliate partnership with Amazon, so we may get a share of revenue if you choose to purchase from them.Photo Credit: Amazon.comSaveSave